Vatican City, Apr 17, 2005 (CNA) -
Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Archbishop of Quebec, Canada, said this Sunday in Rome the Conclave is not a political act, but an act of faith.

Presiding at Mass on Good Shepherd Sunday at the Church of Santa Maria in Traspontina, near the Vatican, Cardinal Ouellet recalled that “the Conclave gives this feast a particular character given the absence of the Pope. For this reason, I wish to invite all to pray for the election to be made by the cardinals.”

The Conclave, he explained, “is not a political act, based on human calculations, but rather an act of faith, which seeks to elect the good Shepherd, successor of Peter;” therefore “it involves the entire community and not only the cardinals.”

Cardinal Ouellet described the period of John Paul II as “the Pontificate that has marked contemporary history like no other of the 20th century.” He also recalled that the late Pope “chose my city of Quebec, six months ago, to be the site of the next International Eucharistic Congress in 2008, coinciding with the 400th anniversary of the city’s foundation.”

“The unforgettable days we are living now make us appreciate the greatness of being members of the Catholic Church,” said Cardinal Ouellet. He concluded asking God that “we might be well-prepared to receive the new Pope and to be attentive to his pastoral ministry and his magisterium.”